1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to methods of fabrication and assembly of optical hardware to minimize problems arising from such fabrication and assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
The increasing optical performance requirements of optical systems are driving tighter tolerances and increased cost to all phases of design, machining, assembly and inspection operations. Often, optical assemblies that were intended to be free of adjustments do in fact have problems at line-replaceable unit (LRU) or system test levels that require shimming or ad hoc adjustment. This can be especially prevalent during the start up phase of a program when new processes may be more likely to yield hardware close to the extremes of the tolerance bands. These unfavorable tolerance stackups result in low test yields, more quality defects (QDs), higher levels of recurring support, LRU interchangeability problems and contribute to overall cost and schedule problems. A method to minimize the impact of these tolerance stackups in the fabrication and assembly of optical hardware is needed, and such method is provided by the present invention.